I have a medium sized Trek Mountain Track/Antelope with a seven speed freewheel. When I tighten the rear quick release, I have to carefully back off on the tightness so that the wheel will actually turn. This is not a brakes issue, I'm dropping the wheel in while the bike is upside down, and I can spin it freely when the quick release is loose. I don't believe its has to do with lateral rim alignment, because that would hit a brake pad in one or a few distinct areas. I'm getting even friction when the q/r is too tight.

My first guess is that I have badly adjusted cones on the axle, and I'm guessing this because I don't know how else the dropouts would apply so much friction.

What should I look to next?

Update
I adjusted the left hand cone looser and I was able to get it adjusted to take a normal amount of pressure on the q/r and it still rotates well. The cone races are kinda gravelly by the feel, I think I'll definitely keep this a light duty bike.

I think you've pretty much diagnosed it yourself. Try adjusting the cones. It might mean that the hub needs a service, but you may as well see if you can simply fix it by adjusting the cones first since it's quite simple.
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Colin NewellJan 4 '12 at 11:05

1

Yep, either the cones are too tight to begin with or you're wrenching the QR way too tight.
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Daniel R HicksJan 4 '12 at 12:30

Thanks, I'll give it a try. I'll have to dust off my cone wrenches.
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memnoch_proxyJan 4 '12 at 15:36

A "gravelly" bearing indicates that the bearings are adjusted a hair too tight. When properly adjusted you should just barely feel a hint of "gravelly" -- the QR makes it tighter, but vertical load (your weight) on the bearing has the opposite effect. Adjusting bearings is tricky, since they need to be a hair loose when you adjust the cone, as the lock nut tightens things up a fair amount.
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Daniel R HicksJan 7 '12 at 13:24

Get a set of Spin Doctor open end wrenches. Beats having to keep removing the wheel over and over to fine tune bearing tightness
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John Doe HeadOct 5 '14 at 4:16

Yeah, it's vaguely possible. Easy enough to check -- take the wheel off, remove the skewer, and yank on one end of the axle. If it's broken it'll be loose and may pull all the way out.
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Daniel R HicksJan 6 '12 at 0:24

Well if the axle were broken, wouldn't one side of the threads rotate independently of the other? I took it out, and had to hold the axle bold under the freewheel with a crescent wrench and the opposite cone and bolt together. So, it didn't obviously feel broken. Interesting possibility, I hadn't considered it, thanks.
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memnoch_proxyJan 7 '12 at 5:22

Yeah, I've only seen a broken axle once (on a bike donated to a bikes for kids program), and it was obvious right away that it was broken.
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Daniel R HicksJan 7 '12 at 13:27

I've broken an axle, and yes, it was obvious as soon as the wheel came off the bike.
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armbMar 7 '13 at 14:05